A Note from Laurie Sanders

Dear listeners,

During the next several months, I'll be taking a leave from producing Field Notes. While I'm away, I'll be working on several different projects, including recording natural sounds and producing a new audio documentary on another subject dear to my heart: the role of public libraries in America. This spring, I'll also be leading a trip to Costa Rica with WFCR listeners. Field Notes and I will return in September.

~ Laurie Sanders

[11/30/09] This week on Field Notes naturalist Laurie Sanders profiles one of the nation's most distinguished researchers, educators and conservationists: Hub Vogelmann of Vermont.

[11/9/09] This week on Field Notes naturalist Laurie Sanders profiles a conservation area rich in history and beauty: Mandell Hill in Hardwick, MA.

[11/2/09] In the late 19th century, a bonafide gardening craze swept the United States. Plant collectors went all over the world, exploring new places, and bringing back plants they found interesting, attractive or useful. This week on Field Notes naturalist Laurie Sanders profiles one of those: a woody vine known as Oriental bittersweet. Once planted in gardens, this vine has escaped into the wild, where it now grows rampantly. For more information on invasive plants, visit the Invasive Plant Atlas of New England. For a picture of the "Massachusetts State Champion" vine, click here.

[10/26/09] Chainsaw art has come a long way in the last ten years, from folk art to real respected art. This week on Field Notes naturalist Laurie Sanders profiles the work of one member of this elite, new breed of chainsaw sculptor: Ken Packie of Otis, MA. For more of Packie's work, click here.

[10/19/09] In spite of its small size, Massachusetts ranks eighth in the nation for forest cover. But unlike many states, most of that forest land is owned, not by the government or large timber companies, but by private individuals and families. This week on Field Notes naturalist Laurie Sanders reports on how forest landowners are helping each other learn about the various options they have when it comes to the future of their woodlands, and why it's important for all of us. You can find information about land trusts working in your town here.

[10/5/09] Plants have evolved a variety of defenses to protect themselves from would-be predators. In a few cases, these defenses include secondary chemicals that cause our skin to sting and itch when we touch them. This week on Field Notes naturalist Laurie Sanders explores the how and why of these "special" plants.

[9/28/09] This week on Field Notes naturalist Laurie Sanders heads to the easternmost part of Maine, not far from the Canadian border, where she profiles the work of an unlikely assortment of people who took on one of the largest conservation projects on the entire East Coast.

[9/21/09] The extensive tidal marshes of the lower Connecticut River are an important stopover for millions of migrating birds. This week on Field Notes naturalist Laurie Sanders visits the marshes to witness one of the most extraordinary avian events—the "twisting tornadoes" of half a million tree swallows. To see the swallows firsthand, you can take a cruise on the river.

[9/13/09] This week on Field Notes, naturalist Laurie Sanders takes a closer look at a familiar and diverse group of wildflowers—the goldenrods. These are at their peak now, and contrary to what you may have heard, they are not the cause of late summer allergies.

[8/31/09] Vernal pools usually make the news when April rains trigger the movement of salamanders and frogs to their breeding ponds. But as naturalist Laurie Sanders reports on today's Field Notes, vernal pools are often busy places all through the summer.